Attachment for chain making machines



Jan. 26, 1932. STAHL 1,843,094

ATTACHMENT FOR CHAIN MAKING MACHINES Filed March 18, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheetl Srmentor FRANK E.S TAHL attorueg Jan. 26, 1932. F. E. STAHL ATTACHMENTFOR CHAIN MAKING MACHINES Filed- March 18, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2Zmnentor FRANK E.STAHL A/w CIttorneg 5 Jan. 26,,1932.

F. E. STAHL ATTACHMENT FOR CHAIN MAKING MACHINES Filed March 18, 1931 3Sheets-Sheet 3 HHI:

Zhwentor llllllillli 0% ec6 l C FRANK E.STAHL f W,

A; GttornegS Patented Jan. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES A ENT O FE FRANKeqsmm; or roNAwANnA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, 'ro ooLUMBns MekI NON cHAINCORPORATION, or ToN wANn NEw' YoBK, A CORPORATION on NEW l YORK 1ATTACHMENT non. CHAIN MAKING MAcHINns Application filed March 18, 1931.Serial No. 523,522.

' the short link forming wire pieces-ic'alled link blanks arealternately turned on their axes so as to change theirrelative positionscircumferentially prior to their presentation to the link formingdevices as hereinafter explained. For example in manufacturing a crosschain for an anti-skid devicefor a motor ,vehicle tire in which thecross chain is made up of links formed from wire having a sharplongitudinal edge along one side such as shown and described in theUnited tates Patent dated December 23, 1930, No. 1,786,318, 'it isdesirable, if the sharp edges of the links are to face, in use, at theexposed side when. on the tire was to takeia firm p 7 I stock is shearedoff at the point ,25 to there grip on the-road or ice, that each ofalternate pairs of link blanks be given approximately a quarter turnpriorto its insertion through the next previously formed linkL;

The present invention, therefore, consists principally in. the hereindescribed and claimed means embodied in a chain making machine forgivingsuch a turn to the pieces from which the links are formed.

Except as modified by my inventionthe wire feeding, cutting and linkforming devices and mechanism for operating are substantiallythes'ame asin the corresponding type of link forming machine and therefore need notbe described in great detail. 1 In the accompanying drawingsillustrating one embodiment oftheinvention v V Figure 1 is atop planviewof a link forming machine according'to the present invention." 1Fig.2 is a detail on a larger scale of the mechanism for actuating thewire rocking means,*said mechanism appearing at the left hand end ofFig. 1. l

Fig. 3' is an elevation partly in section on the line III-III Fig. 2looking to the left. Fig. dis a" detail in plan-view on a larger scalethan in Fig. 1 of the wire shearing and rocking devices.

Fig. 5 is a detail in elevation and section on theline V'V Fig. l of thewire rocking devices. i

Referring to the drawings the wire 10 is drawn from a reel (not shown)through straightening rollers 11 by means ofan ordinary clamping device12 on the end of lever arm 13, the latter being oscillated on thefulcrum point15 by means of a cam 14:. .On the cam 14 is a cam 17 thatoperates a lever 16 fulcrumed at 19 and grips wire 10 thereby preventingsaid wire 10 from being carried back by the return stroke of lever 13."The wire 10 is fed into shear holder 22 the required distancethroughhardened holder 21 that is rigidly held in a fixed block 20, saidshear holder 22 being rigidly held in a block 23 that is-fastened to aslide 24 that ope-rates the bending fingers-24 for forming chain linksaround a mandrel 24 When slide 24 moves forwardthe wire quired lengthbetween'the holders 21 and 22. Said sheared-off portion shown at 10 inthe holder 22, is then oscillated on its axis by meansof an oscillatingholder 26. Ordinarily the locating head 27 has the internal passageshaped to fit the form of-wire with a bevel at the entering end 28.

Attached to the oscillating holder '26 is a lever 29, one end of whichcontains a roller 30 that is held ina slottedfork 31 on .the end of apiston 32 sliding in-housing 33,-the =latter being fastened to the topguide 3% by'means of screws 35. At the endof piston 32 and hous ing 33are located screws 11 and 12 adjustable to limit-the travel of piston32- in one direction. 15 designates a'plunger stop, the end of which ismoved into and out of the housing 33 by means of a lever 16' fastened toshaft 31 crossing below and held in suitable hearings in the bed 17 ofthe former and timer bracket 19. The timer bracket 19' is mounted on theside of a bed 17 between cam wheels20? and 21 that operate the turningfingers andimandr'el respectively. On one end of shaft 31 is mountedtimer lever 22 which carries two pivoted arms 23 each of which has aroller 24 attached to its free end. On the other end of lever 22 is abolt 25 that slides in a slot in the end of a lever 26 fulcrumed onthebracket 19 by means of-bolt 27. Between the end of lever 22 and 26 isstretched a tension spring 28 which governs the position of lever 22Bolted fixedly to the sides of the rotating cam wheels 20 and 21 aredogs 30 During one rotation of the cam wheels 20 and 21 two links areformed, but during this rotation the timer lever 22 is fixed in theposition towards cam wheel 20 as shown. In this operation the plunger 15is carried below piston housing 33 thereby allowing the piston 32 totravel up against stop screws 12 under the action of spring 13. Thepiston. 32 carries lever 29 forward into the position shown in Fig. 5and said lever 29 turns holder 26 with locating head 27 that has carriedthe stock into correct position for feeding the link blank into positionready to be formed on the mandrel.

At the end of the revolution of cam wheel 20 the dog 30 rises underroller 24 and carries it upward through the lost motion range untilroller arm 23 makes contact with the lever 22 the lever 22 being carriedby spring 28 over toward cam wheel 21 going a little beyond the verticaltowards cam wheel 21 against stop screws 29*.

This operation also permits the plunger 15 to rise into the pistonhousing 33 to hold the piston against movement by the spring. While thelever 22 has been changing its position the cut off slide 23 has been inthe forward position with piston 32 in the forward position inhousing33. When the slide 23returns the piston 32 contacts with the stopplunger 15 by means of stop screws 11". As the slide 23.continues tomove the lever 29 is thrown over into the opposite position and carriesthe link blank into the next forming positionwhere it remains for onerevolution 1 of cam wheel 21 after which the holder 27 is returned tothe original position and the operation repeated.

From the foregoing it will observed that the full line position, Fig. 5,represents the block 23 in wire feeding position. lVhen said block ismoved-from the full line position to broken line position the wire iscut to form the link blank, the pin 23 on the block supporting the arm29 and-holding it in the same relation to said block 23. When the pin 15is moved up to stop the piston 32 and the block 23 is returned with thecut blankinthe rocking holder 26 to wire feeding position the arm 29 ofthe rocking holder is swung to the right on its pivot in the fork at 31thereby imparting a turn to the rocking blank holder and to the wireblanktherein. From this position it is fed to the link formers as beforestated.

In the construction showndt willbe noted that after two link blanks areturned and upon the next two cutting movements of the block 23 the pin15 is not elevated to arrest the piston 32, hence the block and linkblank therein are each returned to blank feeding position withoutrocking the holder 26 and the cut blank therein. Hence pairs of the linkblanks are fed to the link formers with their sharp edges out of line orin endwise angular relation to each other. In practice the ends of thelinks can be subsequently welded in a welding machine and after thelinks are welded they are subjected to the twisting operation so thatthe sharp edges of the faces of the links are all on one side of thechain and in substantially the position and relation to one another asshown in said. Letters PatentNo. 1,786,318 hereinbefore referred to.

The forms of the parts can be changed without departing from the gist ofthe invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

1. The combination in a chain making machine. having a wire stockfeeding means, means for shearing the stock into link blanks, linkforming means and means for turning alternate blanks on their axes priorto their presentation to the link forming means. I

2. The combination in a chain making machine having a wire stock feedingmeans, means for shearing the stock into link blanks, link forming meansand means for turning the alternate blanks on their axes prior to theirpresentation to the link forming means, said last named means consistingof a holder from which the link blanks are protruded to the link formingmeans, and cam actuated means for rocking said holder.

3. The combination in a chain making machine having. a wire stockfeeding means, means for shearing the stockinto link blanks, linkforming means and means for turning the alternate link blanks on theiraxes prior to their presentation to the link forming means, said lastnamed means consisting of a holder from which the link blanks areprotruded to the link forming means, and cam actuated means for rockingsaid holder, said camactuated means operable with alternate operationsof the link forming means.

4. The combination in a chain making machine having wire stock feedingmeans, link forming means, aholder for receiving a link blank prior toits presentation to the link forming means, and means for rocking saidholder on its axis to rock the link blank therein.

5.. The combination in achain making machine having wire stock feedingmeans, link forming means, a holder for receiving inv succession linkblanks each prior to its presentation tothe link forming means, andmeans for rocking said holder'on its axis to rgck alternate link blankssupplied to said holder;

6. The combination in a chain making machine having a wire stock feedingmeans, means for shearing the fed stock into link blanks including asliding block, a link blank holder in said sliding block, means forrocking said holder, and means for causing the intermittent actuation ofsaid rocking means to change the position of alternate link blankscircumferentially.

7 The combination in a chain making machine having a Wire stock feedingmeans,'

means for shearing the fed stock into link blanks including a slidingblock, a link blank holder in said block, rocking means for said holderto change the position circumferen tially of alternate linkblankssupplied to said holder and means for timing the operation of saidrocking means. a

8. The combination in a chain making machine having a Wire stock feedingmeans, means for shearing the fed stock into link blanks including asliding block, a link blank holder in said block, rocking means for saidholder to change the position of alternate link blanks supplied to saidholder and means for timing the operation of said rocking means tochange the position circumferentially in said holder of alternate linkblanks supplied to said holder.

9. The combination in a chain making machine having a wire stock feedingmeans, means for shearing the fed stock into link blanks including asliding block, a link blank holder in said block, rocking means for saidholder to change the position of alternate link blanks supplied to saidholder in form ing the chain and means for timing the operation of saidrocking means to change the position circumferentially in said holder ofalternate link blanks supplied to said holder.

10. The combination in a chain making machine having a Wire stockfeeding means, means for shearing the fed stock into blanks including asliding block, a link blank holder in said block, rocking means for saidholder to change the position circumferentially of certain of said linkblanks supplied to said holder in forming the chain and means for timingthe operation of said rocking means.

FRANK E. STAITL.

